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Hockey in Katy, Texas? You Bet
Local Teams Score Big in the Rink
© Katy Magazine - Katy, Texas 2005
September 15, 2005
By Jamie S. Garfield
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We know Katyites love their football, baseball, and basketball but there is definitely a northern influence freezing its way down to Texas. Ice Hockey. In 1997, the Interscholastic Hockey League (ISHL) was founded in part by a
group from Taylor High School. Eight years later two teams from Katy continue to heat up the ice on a regular basis. Comprised mainly of students from Taylor and Cinco Ranch High Schools, the teams play in Houston’s West Division.
Other teams in the division are Cy-Fair, Cy-Creek, Lamar Consolidated, and Stratford/Langham Creek. Dedicated players and parents who share a passion for the sport have created self-supporting teams.
What’s the Appeal?
An inexperienced person might think hockey is mostly violent from punches thrown at televised games. That assessment is unfair and shortsighted because hockey is a challenging sport that attracts athletes with amazing endurance
and quick reflexes. They must speed skate, change directions on a dime, plus have the dexterity to handle a puck and stick well.
Northern Influences
Many players started with roller hockey at Mason Road Skate Center before tackling the ice. Other players who’ve moved to Katy from colder climates (Canada or northern states) have been invaluable assets to their teams. Coaches
for Taylor are John Hughes (Head Coach) with Greg Leriger, Paul Connolly and Dave Davies as assistants. The team has advanced to the state finals in previous seasons. Former player, Johnny Dibbern went on to play at A & M. The
Cinco team is led by Jack Elwood (Head Coach) with Mark Williams and Robert Yorke as assistants.
Game Location and Information
Games begin mid-October and are free to the public. For schedule information, player stats and directions to area rinks visit www.ishl.org. Both teams play in Sugar Land at the
Aerodrome. Interested in tryouts? Contact Cindy Leriger (Taylor) 281-579-2001 or Mary Butler (Cinco) 281-693-4516.
Jamie S. Garfield began writing for newspapers while she was a student at the University of Houston, Clear Lake. She started a career in advertising with United Media in New York, later returning to Houston as an AE for the
Houston Post. She is currently a Katy-based freelance writer, avid volunteer, and a mother of two.
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